A great race has a lot in common with exceptional achievements in other facets of life: work, relationships, education, and personal growth. An extraordinary race requires both an aspiration and a great deal of work and commitment to see it through. It also demands that we navigate the inevitable undulations along the path. It is, by its very nature, an exploration of the edge of one’s own capabilities. It is a risk.
What does it mean to take a risk? I suppose my understanding of this has evolved over time. To my high school self, taking a risk was driving way too fast on a curvy dirt road, feeling the tires slip just a little bit, tempting fate. A bit later in life I often looked upon risk as pushing the physical envelope of what is possible, perhaps taking a chance in a race to go out a little faster than I might be able to handle. Or later still, trying my hand at racing ultra-distance and/or mountain races while living in the flatlands. There’s something alluring in trying to do something that may not be be possible.
In recent years, I have come to see that there’s another form of risk, one involves looking inward with brutal honesty. We all have stories that we tell ourselves, and an outward face that we show the world. But when we really examine within ourselves, and are honest about our desires, motivations, our own short-comings as well as our better qualities, it can be a difficult and painful process. However, the self-knowledge that comes provides us with many opportunities…for knowing ourselves and others better, among other things.
Perhaps this is not where you thought this column on risk would end up, but I think self-examination is scary, risky, and of great value for runners, and anyone else for that matter. As luck would have it, when we go out the door for a run, especially if we leave the headphones behind, we give ourselves a great chance to get to know ourselves. It’s certainly not the only way, but it is an opportunity. I don’t labor under the illusion that self-knowledge translates immediately into better “objective” outcomes, whether that means race times, job opportunities, relationships, or anything else. But I do think it improves one’s experience of life. At the end of the day, isn’t that worth the risk?
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